Designated an L-18 Dee Howard did a conversion as a Howard 250 or 500, Bigger engines. IIRC same engine as on the DC7 Al ----- Original Message ----- From: "Herman R. Silbiger" <hsilbiger@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 11:08 AM Subject: Re: SFGate: Converting commercial jets to military use could bring billions to Boeing > Of course the Lockheed Orion was also based on a commercial airliner, > the Electra L188. This was the first commercial turboprop airliner. > Previous commercial twin combustion engine Electras, the model 10, also > had military service as patrol planes. A lengthened version of the > original Electra was the Lodestar. > > My first flight ever was in an Electra in commercial service in 1943. > > Herman >